SFT | The MEQB Podcast

A bye week is supposed to bring clarity. For the Saints, it brought a firing, and it instantly turns the spotlight onto the people who are still standing. We unpack the decision to let run game coordinator TJ Paganetti go and hand those duties to Brandon Nugent, then we dig into what that tells us about how the offensive staff is organized and who really has influence when the weekly plan gets built. 

We also can’t ignore the part that always feels hollow: the glowing post-move compliments at the podium. If everyone is “great” and “loved,” why is some...

A 1 and 4 record is one thing. Hearing the owner say it is unacceptable is another. We break down Gayle Benson’s public comments and what they reveal about how the New Orleans Saints are handling accountability, pressure, and the risk of making big moves too early in the season. If you care about Saints leadership, front office decision making, and what actually drives winning beyond a Sunday box score, this conversation gets straight to it. 

We also dig into what we’re hearing from people close to the organization about whether Kellen Moore is truly a coach worth...

Drew Brees didn’t just offer a hot take, he put his finger on the problem every defense loves to face: an offense that tells you what’s coming. We break down why the New Orleans Saints look so predictable on early downs, how first down runs from heavy personnel turn into long-yardage traps, and why the lack of consistent play action is leaving free yards on the field. When your formations broadcast intent, even average defenses can play fast, squat on routes, and wait for the Saints to make the next mistake.

We also get specific abou...

Troy Aikman said the quiet part out loud: Brandon Staley looked like he “had no answers.” The next day, Staley pushed back hard, and I get why. When you’re coaching with a short deck, every blunt assessment feels personal. But if we’re being real, that broadcast line wasn’t just noise. It was a snapshot of what happens when the New Orleans Saints defense loses core pieces and the roster does not replace them with true like-for-like talent.

I walk through the football math behind the regression, starting with the run defense triangle and why removing a...

The game is over, but the anger isn’t and Saints fans are letting everybody hear it. Days after the loss, I’m focused on the one question that actually changes a season: how does this team respond, and what does Kellen Moore’s calm, even-keeled style mean when the pressure is boiling over? Steady leadership can keep a locker room from splintering, but it can also hide a hard truth if the on-field product keeps flatlining.

From there, I zoom out to the bigger problem: team building. After you find your quarterback, the NFL tempts you to pil...

We react to the Saints getting blown out 45-24 by the Falcons and unpack why the loss feels bigger than one bad Sunday. We question the Saints’ offensive identity under Kellen Moore and point to the trenches as the clearest reason the game got away. 

• immediate reaction to the home loss and why it feels like a letdown 
• field goal decision down three as a snapshot of the current offensive mindset 
• why hiring an offensive head coach raises the standard for offensive output 
• business-style breakdown of how teams misallocate resources between strong and weak units 
• i...

We break down how a winnable home game against the Raiders turns into an eight-point loss when the Saints melt down with four fourth-quarter turnovers. We also explain why Tyler Shuck still looks like the engine of the offense, what’s really happening in the nickel defense, and how Jordan Tyson’s return could change the passing game.

• Fourth-quarter giveaways as the real loss point 
• Why Tyler Shough remains the Saints’ most important offensive player 
• First-down tendencies, shotgun usage, and a better down-and-distance plan 
• Defense context after turnovers creating short fields 
• Nickel second-level communication proble...

We break down why the Saints keep starting slow under Kellen Moore and still find ways to win late, using the Saints comeback versus the Ravens as the clearest example yet. We also get into the uncomfortable truth about how the run game, tempo, and running back roles have to align if this identity is going to hold up all season. 

• Saints team DNA and why patterns repeat year to year 
• First-quarter and first-half scoring numbers under Kellen Moore 
• Second-half scoring edge plus late-game resilience and fourth-down aggression 
• Why shortening the game with the run helps th...

A football game can look complicated, but the outcome still tracks one brutally simple truth: points come from quarterbacks, and quarterbacks need real reps against real speed. We start with the preseason debate and land on what it looks like when a starter takes zero live snaps, then has to process an NFL pass rush that actually hits. Tyler Shoughs night becomes the case study: early jitters, five sacks, costly picks, then a huge yardage comeback that proves the talent while exposing how thin the margin is when the plan asks him to be perfect.

From there...

A quarterbacks best friends are his offensive line, a running game, and a good defense.  The Saints added Travis Etienne and David Edwards to solidify the first two, but may have not done enough to stop the defense from regressing in year 2 under Brandon Staley. 

Instead the Saints added a surplus of offensive talent around Shough with the expectation that he'll take the next step. Will he handle the pressure to perform in a positive way, or will he look more like Drake Maye last night vs the Seahawks.

We'll discuss that and more on Ep...

You don't hire an offensive minded Head Coach for him to lead an offense that produced 18.1 points per game.  They were terrible and there's a lot of weight on Moore's shoulder to fix it, we discuss some ways he can improve.

Saints show some pep in their step and get the 27-24 win vs the Cowboys for Kellen Moore's first pre-season win as Saints HC.   We go over some key stats from the game, a few things that stood out, and some quick thoughts on what this team is capable of this season.   Lots of little nuggets and "did you know that's" in this episode.  

This episode of Monday Evening Quarterback discusses why Kellen Moore not playing his starters in pre-season Week 3 was the right decision, but not getting Tyler Shough any pre-season snaps could prove to be a huge mistake.